The invention relates to an auditory treatment device for correcting hearing impairments.
German patent DE 38 40 393 C3 discloses such a treatment device which is worn in the ear. It has a pear-shaped or mushroom-shaped contour and contacts the auditory canal and external ear. The term “housing” is used to designate only the part contacting the skin of the wearer, which part actually belongs to a two-part housing, the outwardly visible front of the device being designed in the familiar fashion as a “cover plate” or “face plate” on which the entire electronics unit of the treatment device is located. These cover plates are composed of plastic which is normally designed to match the visual color of the ear since this cover plate is visible when the user wears it, whereas the metallic housing component extending into the ear is not visible.
The so-called “housing” is thus positioned simply like a hood on this cover plate and may be individually form-fitted to the individual patient. This “housing” may in fact be fabricated of metal to form an electrode which, interacting with a second electrode, forms an automatic on/off switch which automatically switches the device on when it is inserted into the ear and which also reduces the resistance between the electrodes due to skin moisture.
Due to the growing use of small, electronic devices used adjacent to the head, such as cellular or cordless telephones, generic treatment devices are often exposed to radiated noise, or may themselves generate radiated noise which interferes with such devices.
Due to the ever-smaller dimensions achievable for the electronics unit, and thus for the entire treatment devices for which miniaturization is desirable for cosmetic reasons, there exists the added risk of unintended damage to the treatment device when it is inadvertently ignored, or for example, loosens from or falls out of the wearer's ear during exercise.